Fishing All Year Does Not Harm Fish Population

This science shows that fishing lakes all year does not hurt the population. Why then is our red snapper season 7 days?

For the past ten years, our ability to catch one species in particular here in Florida - The American Red Snapper - has gone from 365 days to 180 days to this year's allocation of seven days. Considering the fact that in some parts of the state you have to run sixty miles offshore to reach sizeable fish, that is essentially no season. Wind adds into the mix, and if you can fish one day it's a lot.

With a limit of two fish (and the guides and mates are not allowed to keep one for you or themselves) that puts the prices at around $132,032 a pound if you are luck. (we made up those numbers but you should get what we mean)We have long argued that the 'science' used to determine and set allocations is seriously flawed - fatally flawed in fact.

It uses computer modeling and not actual fish counted or weighed, and the software relies on what's called precautionary science; that is if the fish are not dead already the are probably going to be unless we solve a problem that has not surface yet. Our computer models say the problem is going to happen, so out of precaution we will limit the catches.It is bull fecal matter, pure and simple.

But it has allowed a select few to literall own the entire stock - the public stock - of red snapper.It seems - based on this article from Doug Leier on InForum - that science says that fishing for fish all year does not injure the population. People let a lot of fish go; catch and release is a big deal in today's sport fishing arena. Even if people intend to eat the fish they often take only enough for that day's meal.

This is a paragraph from Doug's article. It rings intense in light of our own snapper shut down. And amberjack have joined the list of fish we're not allowed to catch anymore:

Every year about this time, after the ice leaves North Dakota lakes and game fish like northern pike and walleye go through their annual effort to spawn, the North Dakota Game and Fish Department fields a fair number of questions about the state's year-round fishing season.

Read the whole article about how healthy the walleye and pike populations are in these northern lakes - despite people loving to catch them on hook and line.